


Friends Are The Best Matchmakers

by fangirl_is_who_i_am



Series: Friends Really Know Better [1]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Bandi in the background, Buffy's POV, Coming Out, F/F, Friendship, M/M, Tyrus is the main ship, basically everyone is gay and i'm happy, for now, friendship is important and everyone is good friends, no gun plotline, no wuffy, some basketball teammates, they gays all group together i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 20:12:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16793926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_is_who_i_am/pseuds/fangirl_is_who_i_am
Summary: Buffy suspects Cyrus's crush on TJ isn't one sided, and she's on a quest to find out for sure. And maybe her own love situation can bring the boys out of their shells.





	Friends Are The Best Matchmakers

**Author's Note:**

> This fic ignores the existence of Wuffy as a ship and the gun plotline in episode 6. it starts right after the scene outside the gym when TJ rapologized (i'm coining that).  
> it's a two parts fic- the second part will be from Cyrus's POV, so make sure to tune in!

"So... You two certainly looked chummy with each other back there," Buffy said as the two friends watched the defeated basketball player walk away.

"Uhm." Cyrus tore his eyes from TJ to look at Buffy.

"And you should have seen the look on your face after the rapology." She smirked.

"Are you implying what I think you're implying? Because if you are, I think my brain just implied the same thing and I'm freaking out." He definitely looked freaked out.

"Cyrus... do you like TJ?"

He exhaled deeply before replying. "I think I might." He looked up to his friend, fear and worry reflecting from his eyes. "Do you hate me again?"

"Oh, Cyrus." She took both his hands in hers. "I have _never_ hated you. And I never will. Especially not for feelings you can't help." Her heart went for her friend and she felt bad for ever making him feel like that.

The boy sighed in relief and mirrored Buffy's smile. It didn't last long, though.

"I really can't, can I? Why do I always have to crush on hopelessly straight boys?"

At that, the girl began to laugh. It wasn't a mean laugh, she just didn't really think 'hopelessly straight' was a good description for TJ Kippen.

"Buffy!" He was astonished. "This is not funny!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she called, but continued to laugh.

“Well, I guess it’s a _little_ funny,” Cyrus cracked a smile again. Buffy was pretty sure they weren’t laughing from the same reason.

“It will be okay, Cyrus. _You_ will be okay.”

“Thank you.”

o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

Buffy wasn't stupid. She knew all of the stereotypes about the homophobic bullying jocks. But then again, TJ has been pretty okay today. And around Cyrus he's even… sweet. The looks the taller boy gave to her friend earlier made her think Cyrus wasn’t the only one experiencing mind-blowing realizations about his feelings.

She decided she needed to test her theory, but she had to be smart about it. First, she would have to observe her friend and his (potentially mutual) crush some more, and an opportunity to do so emerged sooner than she'd expect.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

"Thank you for hanging up all these posters for me!" Buffy hugged her friend when she saw him at the end of the school day. "They look great." She was really happy Cyrus was there with her today for her first mission as captain. Especially since Andi was too busy redecorating her house to come. No matter how sorry she was, Buffy was a little disappointed the person she wanted to be there most wasn't.

"It's just one of my jobs as The Slayer's number one fan," said Cyrus, "but actually, I must share the credit with TJ, he was helping me hang them all afternoon yesterday."

"Really?" Buffy looked genuinely surprised. She knew TJ changed, obviously, and he made the efforts to be less hateful of her for Cyrus, but she didn't think he'd go as far as _help_ her.

"Yup."

Buffy and Cyrus both turned to the sound of TJ's voice, a big smile forming on the latter's lips.

"You made it!" Cyrus gave the taller boy a short hug, which made Buffy raise an eyebrow. _Hugging territory already, hm?_

"Of course, Underdog. I wouldn't miss it." TJ gave him what Buffy liked to call his Signature Cyrus Smile. It was the smile she's only seen TJ direct at her friend, and the happiest TJ has ever looked in her opinion.

She turned to him with clasped hands and said semi-dramatically, "aw! You came here just to support me with the tryouts?"

"Well, yeah." The taller boy looked a little sheepish. "I still kind of owe you."

His answer surprised Buffy a little. She expected him to say he was there just to make sure Cyrus didn't die of boredom. "Oh. Well thank you. And for the posters." Maybe TJ was just nicer all around then. _Hmm,_ she thought as the trio started walking towards the gym, _she'd have to investigate some more._

But she had more important things to worry about right then. Like the upcoming tryouts and her two supporters trying to make her nervous about them. And succeeding a little.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

A few days later found Buffy making a list.

On the one hand, TJ started to be nice to a lot of people. He gave her a solid advice during the tryouts, and he helped her with the outfits for team- and Cyrus wasn't even there.

On the other hand, it wasn't anyone but Cyrus that he sat that close to. Or made silly muffin bets with. Or exchanged meaningful looks with. Or gave that whipped smile to.

Like he just did, as Cyrus pushed his unfinished meal towards him.

"Here, you can finish my food. I have go to my dentist appointment."

Buffy stood up to let Cyrus out of the booth they were sitting at in the Spoon, and then she sat back down in front of TJ.

"Have fun, Muffin!" Once again, Buffy raised her eyebrow at the pair, but remained silent for the moment.

"I don't think the dentist is the best place for fun but I'll try." _Muffin_ laughed softly before leaving the restaurant.

"Muffin?" Buffy finally questioned. It was, no doubt, the cutest thing TJ has ever said in her present.

TJ at least looked a little embarrassed when he answered. "It's just a nickname I gave him after he baked me that terrible muffin. You know, from our bet."

"Right." Their silly muffin bet they made with each other, which made Cyrus go out of his way to bake TJ the most perfect muffin he could manage, which wasn't much.

Before they could take this conversation anywhere else, though, the doorbell rang to announce the entrance of a couple of teenagers to the restaurant.

"Kippen, Driscoll, what's up?" It was Kyle Williams from the boys' basketball team, along with Tanner Brooks and David Green. Buffy barely saw them in school anymore now that they weren't on the same team.

"Oh, we're just having lunch. Wanna join us?" Buffy suggested. TJ might have being a jerk to her when she was on the team, but the other guys were pretty nice and she hasn't talked to them in a while.

"Are you sure?" asked Williams, " we don't want to interrupt your date or anything." This caused Brooks and Green to snicker in the back, but it didn't stop them from sliding into the seat next to TJ and to the empty chair at the head of the table.

"We are _not_ on a date!"

"This is _not_ a date!"

TJ and Buffy said at the same time.

 _Ew._ Buffy thought. She was pretty sure the same thought also crossed TJ's mind, by the look on his face.

"Way to make us believe." Green grinned.

William sat down next to Buffy and stole a fry from her plate, producing an angry "hey!" from her.

"We're just messing with you," he said after he swallowed the stolen good, "we know The Slayer is way too good for you, Kippen."

This time it was TJ's turn to call "hey!" and Buffy's to snicker. It was good to remember her experience in the boys' basketball team wasn't all bad.

"You can't talk to your captain like that," TJ said, mostly jokingly.

"Well then, mister Captain, who is it that you _are_ dating?"

"What do you mean?" It definitely looked like TJ knew exactly what Williams meant, and he even looked a little nervous from the direction this conversation was taking.

"Well," the fries' thief began, "I have Mira, Green here- God knows how- is dating Ann and everyone knows Brooks likes Kate from history. You never shared with us."

Buffy could have sworn then that TJ's cheeks were tinted pink, but he quickly took a napkin to wipe the non-existent ketchup on his face to hide it. "I just don't like anyone," he said, his face still half hidden, "I'm too focused on the season."

"C'mon. It's just us. We won't tell the rest of the team," Williams urged and failed to get another fry from Buffy's plate.

After putting down the napkin, fTJ fidgeted with Cyrus's fork and glanced out of the window. "I told you, I don't like any girl."

TJ was clearly uncomfortable now, so before the boys could push any farther, Buffy cut it. "What about me? Don't you want to know who _my_ crush is on?"

"Oh, I hope it's on me!" said Brooks, flattering his eye-lashes.

"Ha! You wished." Buffy playfully shoved the jock and they all laughed together. Well, all except TJ who was still busy with the important task of flipping every fry on the plate in front of him.

"Driscoll, spill."

And while Buffy wasn't going to reveal who she had a crush on, she understood how TJ felt and wanted to help him out. So as she described her amazing, creative, crafty crush, she stole quick glances at her former tormenter and saw his embarrassment. He joined the conversation again when it was stirred to school territory, and had no problem complaining about the amount of homework they had for English class.

Soon, though, TJ had to leave for work and Buffy had to go home and take her dog for a walk so the two left the other basketball players inside.

"Sorry for them," TJ said when they started walking together, "they can be assholes." He put both hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy laughed, "they have always been way nicer than you were." She looked at him pointedly.

"Right, right." He looked down.

She hoped a little it was because he felt bad for the way he treated her, but she had a feeling his head was focused on other matters. "Is it about their nagging about the whole crush thing?" By the way TJ glanced up and then back down again in less than a second, she guesses she hit exactly the right spot. "Because it didn't bother me." She tried to read him for another reaction and when that failed to come she added, "did it bother _you?_ "

"Pff. Why would it bother me?" He eyed the sky.

"TJ." She paused and at last, he spared her a look. She didn't want to push him, God knew _she_ wasn't prepared for this kind of conversation with him, but since he brought up the subject she thought he might have needed someone to talk to.

"What?" He stopped walking as well.

"Well, did it?"

The boy shrugged. "I guess."

"Okay." Buffy moved again, deciding that's enough pushing for now. The ball was in his court.

"Wait, okay?" TJ caught up to her.

"Yeah," she said, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just know that I'm willing to listen, but I won't push."

"Oh." He frowned his brow in confusion for a second before smiling. "Thanks, Buffy."

"Any time."

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

"You are never going to believe what I did yesterday!" Cyrus exclaimed the second he joined Buffy and Andi at their lockers before class.

The two girls exchanged a knowing look, because Cyrus got excited from the simplest things. He could have eaten a pie and be super hyped about it.

"What did you do, Cyrus?" Andi asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement. It was hard for a second to concentrate on what Cyrus was saying next.

"I," Cyrus began, proudly pointing at himself, "shot a basket!"

"You _what_?" Buffy thought her hearing might be going bad. Her friend did what now?

"I shot a basket!" Cyrus was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "TJ asked me to hang out at the park and he brought a basketball with him and he said we should play and I said 'oh no, no way, I can't even shoot one basket' and then TJ was all like 'no problem, Underdog, I will teach you' and then I tried to throw the ball and it didn't go in the hoop but TJ showed me what to do and I tried to throw the ball a bunch of times and I HIT HIM IN THE FACE with the ball once and his nose started to bleed and I felt so bad but he said it was okay and then he helped me with my stance and the position of my arms and then I DID IT!" Finally, he stopped for air before adding, "it only took me 34 tries!"

Both Andi and Buffy looked at him in shock, trying to process his long rant.

"TJ taught you how to shoot a basket?" Buffy asked and received vicious nodding from Cyrus, the biggest smile on his lips.

"And you threw the ball at his face?" Andi made sure, wincing while imagining what that felt like for TJ.

"Yeah." Cyrus laughed nervously. "I wanted to run away because it was so embarrassing, and at the same time I wanted to make sure he was okay. But he was _so_ sweet about it, he just held his nose in his fingers and smiled at me and –he was just so sweet." He seemed to have lost his train of thought as he was recalling the time he had with TJ.

Buffy and Andi exchanged another knowing look. By now, Andi also figured out about the two boys crushing on each other. Buffy didn't tell her anything specifically, of course, but it didn't mean they couldn't smile together at how cute their friend was. And it didn't mean Buffy couldn't adore that smile.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun," said Buffy, "with your _sweet_ friend."

This comment painted Cyrus's cheeks pink and he looked at Buffy with scared wide eyes.

"Cyrus, it's okay." Andi reassured him. The boy looked between his two friends, his eyes narrowed this time.

"You told her?" he asked Buffy.

Before she could defend herself Andi cut in, "she didn't need to tell me anything. You were pretty obvious. TJ is too if you ask me."

"Am not! And he definitely isn't. He's like the straightest guy in the book."

Andi sighed. "For a gay guy, your gaydar is kind of bad."

This caused Buffy to burst out laughing, Andi joining her soon after. If only they knew.

"You guys are the worst friends." Cyrus couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Come here, group hug." Buffy extended her arms and the three hugged right there in the hall. After they parted, Buffy started again, "so…"

"Can we please stop talking about my love life? Or lack of thereof." Seeing Buffy was about to say something else Cyrus added, " _please_."

"Fine," Buffy grumbled, "you're no fun."

"Anyways," Andi started before Cyrus could say anything else, "watch this." She pulled out her phone and moved it around with her hand, the case changing colors with her movement.

"That's so cool!" Cyrus called and tried to get a better look.

Andi started to explained about how she got this special tape that changed colors in the light. As she told them about the other plans she had for it, Buffy found herself mesmerized by how passionate her friend could be about crafts, and how cute she looked when she was excitingly telling them about her next projects.

Not a minute passed before the bell rang, putting a stop to Andi's small rant. Before the three went their separate ways, Buffy caught Cyrus giving her a look. She gave him a _'what?'_ look in return, only to receive a raised eyebrow and a _'we will definitely talk later'_ look back.

As she bid Andi goodbye for the hour, she frowned in confusion as to what Cyrus could possible want to talk to her about. Maybe it was about TJ.

o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

So it wasn't about TJ. It was about Andi.

Andi, her new girlfriend whose hand was holding Buffy's.

It was six days since her conversation with Cyrus and five since the one she had with Andi, and Buffy was the happiest she's ever been. She and Andi were walking together to Andi's locker on the other side of the school to get her stuff before their date when they were stopped by no other than TJ Kippen.

"Wait, Buffy!" He called out to her, making both her and Andi turn around. He eyed their intertwined hands for a second before shifting his gaze to Buffy. "Can we talk? Please?"

Andi gave her hand a quick squeeze and let it go. "I'll go get my stuff and meet you out front, all right?"

Buffy smiled at her and nodded. Did she mention how happy she was? "What's up?" She turned to TJ again.

He gestured with his head to the door and she got the hint. The two walked out together, Buffy still smiling and TJ appearing to be deep in thought. His hands were in his pockets and there was a small frown on his brow as if he was trying to debate something with himself.

"What did you want to talk about?" Buffy asked again once they were out of anyone's earshot. They sat down on a bench behind the school that was already abandoned at this time on a Friday afternoon.

"So, was the crush you were talking about with the guys…" TJ finally started.

"Yup." She would deny any accusation of blushing later but maybe she could feel her cheeks heating up from the thought of her new relationship.

"Oh." Was all TJ said.

"Do you have a problem with it?" Buffy knew he didn't, but raised an eyebrow at him anyways.

"No, no! I swear, it's cool." Buffy noticed he definitely looked scared and decided to go easier on him. She smiled to let him know she believed him but waited patiently for him to say something else, like he obviously wanted to. "How…-" he fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie- "how did you know you like girls?"

Buffy had a feeling she knew what it was all about. Even though TJ might not have been her first choice, she decided to share nonetheless. "At first a few of my girl-friends started to talk about guys and how cute they are and all I thought was mostly ' _meh_ '. No offense," she added with a smile.

"Non-taken." TJ also cracked a smile at that.

"At first I didn't really think much of it but then," she debated for a second how she should phrase what happened next, "a friend made me realize there were possibilities other than being straight and it got me thinking about myself. That's about it." TJ looked deep in thought again, and after a couple of minutes of silence Buffy added: "why are you asking?"

It took another few long seconds of silence before finally TJ swallowed once and inhaled. "I think I'm gay, too," he said in a tiny voice.

While in her head Buffy screamed ' _I KNEW IT! AH- HUH!_ ' outside her head she said, "TJ, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with that." As weird as it was for her, Buffy took his hand in hers to show her support. He calmed down and smiled at her for a moment, but then looked all nervous again.

"There's more," he said, making Buffy's mind scream again. _This is the moment you were waiting for._

"Yes, TJ?"

"I like Cyrus. Like, a lot. He's so cute and special and I think I might die every time we're in the same room because he makes my heart beat out of my chest and I just really don't know what to do." He covered his eyes with his hands, missing Buffy's shocked expression.

Did she know TJ liked Cyrus? Sure. But she had no idea how strong his feelings were. It warmed her heart to know someone cared about her friend so much. Still, when she responded with "what?! I had no idea!" TJ didn't buy it at all.

"You knew?" He asked, looking at her again.

"Well," she began and put one hand on the back of her head, "I had my suspicion, you know? But I didn’t want to assume or to pressure you into saying anything…" She trailed off.

"Thanks." He looked a little relieved. "So you don't mind?" She understood why he was worried, but she honestly wanted what was best for her friend and if TJ was making him happy who was she to get between them?

"Look, I get it. Cyrus is literally the sweetest boy ever; he's kind and he's a good friend and he will always be there for you. Makes sense you fell for him." She smiled.

Suddenly, TJ looked determined. "You know what? You're right! Cyrus _will_ always be there. Because he's amazing and he never judged me before." Buffy thought that maybe he forgot all about her while thinking again about how wonderful his crush was, but he then turned to her again. "Thank you, Buffy." It looked like a weight was lifted of his shoulders and he gave her a genuine smile.

"No problem."

After he left, Buffy spotted Andi approaching her. She realized her girlfriend ( _her girlfriend!_ ) must have seen her and TJ talk and waited until he was gone before coming over.

"What was that all about?" She asked before taking Buffy's hand again.

"Oh, I have a feeling you'll find out soon enough."

**Author's Note:**

> don't worry, you will find out soon enough as well!  
> this is my first fic in the fandom so I hope i gave it justice. thanks for reading and please leave a comment to say what you think! the second part from Cyrus's POV will be up shortly (a lot of bandi and tyrus there), depends on the response i get (:


End file.
